Night shooting of deer

stig

Well-Known Member
This might show up my ignorance... but the wife asked me the other day why you couldn't shoot deer at night (I was setting up my lamping gear but had said deer were off the menu)... I responded after a second's thought that I believed it was down to using high powered rifles when you can't be sure of a safe backstop etc... but then I thought, hmmmm, but you can shoot boar and foxes with rifles at night!

So why not deer...?

:confused:
 
God knows why, apart from some people think deer are special, but you can apply to shoot at night.
 
You can lamp deer up to one hour after sunset according to the law in England. You can also apply for a night shooting permit. You won't get one, but you can still apply!:p
MS
 
Possibly has its roots in legislation targeted against poachers? The working man didn't have the opportunity to have a pop at deer during normal working hours so he would have to shoot at night; you couldn't necessarily prove that he had taken the beast from a particular place, but you could show that it must have been taken outside permitted hours. Similar rationale behind the illegality of salmon fishing on Sundays (the only day Joe 6pack had off work)
 
it can be bad enough finding a wounded deer in full daylight never mind in the dark

SNH authorisations are conditioned
Must phone police and notify neighbours
Minimum of 2 people present
A trained dog/dogs MUST be present
Along with other conditions
 
SNH authorisations are conditioned
Must phone police and notify neighbours
Minimum of 2 people present
A trained dog/dogs MUST be present
Along with other conditions

Interesting.

As far as the "trained hound" goes do the SNH have a register or a test dogs must pass before they are considered "trained hounds".
 
Interesting.

As far as the "trained hound" goes do the SNH have a register or a test dogs must pass before they are considered "trained hounds".

No George but they have came out with me at night before and make sure you are abiding by the conditions,seen my dogs work too,that would be a good idea though a register for the dogs for authorisations
ATB
 
No George but they have came out with me at night before and make sure you are abiding by the conditions,seen my dogs work too,that would be a good idea though a register for the dogs for authorisations
ATB

The problem is that once burocrats get hold of something they want to make it too perfect and too complicated.
In my view it would be better if the various organisations interested in deer and hunting got together to agree on a basic tracking test.
Once people have passed this, they could be simply put on a list with email and phone number.
That already happens in other european countries. Denmark have roughly 200 hounds on their list and the flemish part of belgium about 25 members.
Germany of course got hundreds and the top hounds get their maintenance paid by the state. Makes you dream.
 
+1,I would be interested to see how my dogs stacked up on a basic test,seeing as they are worked almost daily,more on a hotter scent though,unlike on the continent with a day or 2 old scent,my more experienced dog I think would take to it ok,the other ones would perhaps struggle more on a cold scent
Horses for courses,here it's not often that we have to follow scents that are older than a day,as you have said as well boar will travel further than deer,no boar up here yet
 
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You can lamp deer up to one hour after sunset according to the law in England. You can also apply for a night shooting permit. You won't get one, but you can still apply!:p
MS

Monkey, read the legislation again. It is illegal to use any artificial light, or any image intensifying or night vision equipment, to take deer. You can shoot them until one hour after official sunset, but you can NOT legally use a lamp.

I agree that you are highly unlikely to be granted a licence to shoot them at night, unless you have a very good reason why this is necessary. For example Richmond Park have permission to lamp deer at night, because there are several public rights of way through the park which they can't close during the day. Being a Royal park helps with getting a licence.
 
Richmond Park have permission to lamp deer at night, because there are several public rights of way through the park which they can't close during the day. Being a Royal park helps with getting a licence.

I think that the real reason they lamp the deer is a very sad reflection on how our modern society view killing/culling wild(ish) animals, and is done in that manner to prevent any protest.

Maybe they should make a visit to the Jaegersborg Dyrehave just north of Copenhagen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jægersborg_Dyrehave

With a population of circa 300 red, 1800 fallow and 100 sika and public access 365 days a year, they carry out deer management activities without resort to night shooting. I was there some years ago for a week long darting exercise on the fallow and nobody, (public that is), blinked an eye about what was going on. They have a very professional education programme which includes school and family parties witnessing culling from field to larder and the literature available is first class. http://www.naturstyrelsen.dk/NR/rdonlyres/B6F9172A-57CB-4607-B8C4-F9DD644E14B4/0/Jaegersborg.pdf

I guess it's a cultural thing rather than neccessity that dictates the issue of a night shooting licence in Richmond Park.
 
You can lamp deer up to one hour after sunset according to the law in England. You can also apply for a night shooting permit. You won't get one, but you can still apply!:p
MS

im finding it hard to get this sorted,

well hard is not the word

this man and some others on here told me so.

if just about inpossible

bob.
 
Bob, they are massively anti letting people shoot deer at night, I have no idea why. Is there no way you can persuade the owners to close to the public for a day to let you get it sorted?
 
Bob, they are massively anti letting people shoot deer at night, I have no idea why. Is there no way you can persuade the owners to close to the public for a day to let you get it sorted?

hi Matt

i think this is the only way we can do it, this time of year we are hoping the get a mid day closure, this will allow them to have some income from the morning and then we can hope to get the boogers later on

bob.
 
Monkey, read the legislation again. It is illegal to use any artificial light, or any image intensifying or night vision equipment, to take deer. You can shoot them until one hour after official sunset, but you can NOT legally use a lamp.
Can you give me a link to that info matt under the UK deer Act?
The law in scotland is as you describe, but there is no mention of lamps or night vision equipment in the deer act of 1963 or revised in 1991 as far as I can see?
I maybe wrong and welcome enlightenment!
MS:)
 
Monkey, I believe the relevant legislation for that regulation is the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981, which prohibits the use of any " form of artificial lighting, mirror or other dazzling device" except against fox, rabbit and feral pigeon.

Ny reading of section 11.2.C prohibits the use of any of the items mentioned against ANY wild animal (not just the listed wild animals) hence including deer.

As always, that is my interpretation of the legislation, and I've not checked for precedent.
 
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